


the song stuck in my head, every song that I've ever loved

by Kirity



Category: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Fluff, Genichiro is a dumbass as usual, Happy Ending, M/M, Miscommunication, mentions of abuse, this is basically a soap opera
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:14:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29351031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kirity/pseuds/Kirity
Summary: University was years ago. Genichiro has had more than enough time to come to terms with everything that happened, and even make something of himself. Then one day, someone he thought he had left behind wanders back into his life.
Relationships: Genichiro Ashina/Sekiro | Wolf
Comments: 7
Kudos: 28





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Once again, I would like to thank the Genikiro server for this fic, especially Nat (delcatty_got_your_tongue) for basically writing half of this for me. It's just tooth-rotting fluff with a healthy dose of soap opera level of misunderstandings, a far cry from my usual fics. I hope you all enjoy!  
> [ Here's my twitter account if you want to come and yell at me! ](https://twitter.com/McKirity)  
> [ And here's the Genikiro discord server if you want to hang out.](https://discord.gg/Kp7BjHVz8h)

The sun has just crested the horizon when Genichiro locks the gate behind him. It is a chilly autumn morning, cold enough to warrant a jacket and a thick pair of sweatpants, though he starts rethinking the jacket about half a mile down the mountain. The jog takes him into the city center, where shops are beginning to open up in earnest and the streets are still empty. Genichiro leans against a stoplight to catch his breath, then throws his jacket back on and ducks into the nearest coffee shop.

Normally, he’d turn right around and jog back home: getting the castle ready for the day is always a complicated matter, and he still needs to get cleaned and dressed up. But a recent storm had blown out some of the windows in the observatory, and the city decided it would be cheaper keep the castle closed during maintenance. And so here he is, indulging in coffee and a grilled chicken sandwich. Genichiro washes down his mouthful with the last bit of his cup, and turns his gaze out the window.

It is a quiet morning. During the summer and the holidays, the streets would be near bursting at the seams with tourists and locals in just a few hours, but it’s slow enough today that Genichiro doesn’t feel guilty for having what essentially amounts to a paid vacation. Granted, there are still calls to make and emails to answer, but there’s nothing demanding his immediate attention. Maybe he’ll even stop by the liquor store on the way back home, to splurge on some drinks to share with Grandfather later tonight.

He’s just polished off the rest of his sandwich when something catches his eye. A man, walking down the street. Genichiro blinks at him — and then his heart skips a beat, and he’s running outside, breaths coming short, _it can’t be Wolf, there’s no way,_ but he can’t take his eyes off the man. He watches as he stops and peers into a storefront, then kneels and smiles at — is that a toddler?

Genichiro has the strangest sense of floating away. Maybe-Wolf pats the toddler’s face, then takes their hand as he continues down the street. Genichiro stares after his retreating back, until he hears behind him someone clearing their throat. He whirls around to find the owner raising an eyebrow at him.

Genichiro clears his table and returns the plate and cup to the counter. He rushes back outside, and to his relief, Maybe-Wolf is still there, crouching as the toddler whispers into his ear. He pats his little face and heads into a cafe. Before he can ask himself what he’s doing, Genichiro’s feet are moving on their own down the street.

He has to know. He needs to make sure it’s really Wolf.

* * *

Genichiro will never admit it out loud, even on pain of death, but Tokyo is a completely different beast compared to Ashina. There are so many people, and everywhere he looks, it’s all apartment complexes and skyscrapers. Nothing at all like his homeland, dominated by sheer mountains even in her most urban cities. Something that Genichiro refuses to call fear begins forming in the pit of his stomach the moment he gets on the train, but that’s normal, right? He’s going to be a university student now.

Still, that pit boils even as the train pulls into the station, as he takes the subway all the way to the university, as he stomps up the dormitory stairs with his duffel bag in one hand and keys in the other, as he finds himself standing in the middle of a sparse room. There are two desks, two closets, two shelves, and two beds, one on each side of the room; the communal restroom is down the hall. Genichiro takes a deep breath as he looks around — and finally, a smile creeps over his face.

He endured a year of hell on the college entrance exams to make it this far. As the sole heir of the Ashina clan, Genichiro was destined to take over the family business, so it was only natural that he would shoot for one of the most prestigious schools in the country. He throws his duffel bag and keys onto the nearest desk, and flops into the bed on the same side. He’ll have to go shopping right after this, but he had promised to call Grandfather the moment he made it to his dorm. Genichiro grins as he fishes out his phone, and scrolls through his contacts.

He’s in the middle of promising that he won’t cheap out on the bedding, he’ll definitely check the thread count before buying anything (and yes, he knows what thread counts are, sorta), when the door creaks open and someone slips in. Genichiro stands, saying, “Hold on, my roommate is here, I’ll call you later,” and puts his phone away as he grins.

“Hey. My name is Genichiro.” He crosses the room and holds out a hand. His new roommate blinks up at him, all wide, quiet eyes. Genichiro gets the faintest sense of some tiny animal shivering in a corner as he stares down at Genichiro’s hand, then looks away entirely.

“My name is Wolf,” he says, quiet enough that Genichiro has to strain his ears.

He doesn’t take his hand. He stands there, head down, gripping the straps of a fraying backpack that doesn’t even look half full tight enough to turn his knuckles white. Genichiro gets the feeling that tiny animal will bare its teeth if he tries to push any further, so he drops his hand as dismay fills his chest. Just his luck to get a weird roommate.

Whatever. Genichiro steps away, shrugging it off. So what if he got a unlucky this time? It’ll only be a year — or better yet, a single semester before he gets the chance to move out.

Genichiro can deal with it.


	2. Chapter 2

Genichiro tries not to think too hard about what he’s doing. Maybe-Wolf and his maybe-son are seated at a table close to the entrance, waiting for their food and drink. Genichiro is closer to the back, having entered through a side door to avoid being seen. If it really is Wolf, then the last thing he needs is to expose himself; if it isn’t, then Genichiro just happened to have a pleasant meal in the same cafe as some random father and son. No one’s going to fault him for that.

The cafe leans cutesy, more boba than coffee and more pastry than bakery; the waitresses here are dressed in such bright, frilly clothes they do a good job keeping all eyes on them. Genichiro absently orders a latte from one as he watches the boy crawl into Maybe-Wolf’s lap, bouncing up and down with a bright grin. Maybe-Wolf strokes his hair as he smiles peacefully, the very image of a doting father.

He looks so much like _Wolf_ it hurts.

Maybe it really is him? But what are the chances? Last time they saw each other was at the airport right before Wolf left for his new life in America. Why on earth would he come back when he had so many reasons to leave? Let alone come to Ashina, so far from Tokyo where they had gone to university together. And if it really is him — what is Genichiro supposed to do? Maybe he’s just on a vacation, and with his _family_ no less. He can’t butt his way into that. No, this is getting ridiculous. Wolf or not, he has no business—

Maybe-Wolf gets to his feet. He pats the toddler’s cheeks, then sets off in the direction of the restrooms. Genichiro watches him go. Once he’s out of sight, his mind begins to race again. He really should just leave now, what if they notice him staring and call the police, how is he going to explain that away, the only son of the Ashina clan stalking a father and his son—

A tap on his shoulder. Genichiro whirls around. He feels his soul astral project out of his body as Maybe-Wolf blinks at him, then smiles.

“It’s good to see you, Genichiro,” he says.

* * *

This is _impossible._

Genichiro thought the entrance exams were supposed to be the end of it. No more of those nightmarish days of studying his ass off, those long, long nights of cramming until it felt like his brains were going to melt out of his ears. Everyone promised that getting in was the hard part, but it’s barely even been a month since classes has started and he’s already struggling.

When he got that acceptance letter, everyone had been so excited for him. The heir of the Ashina clan, going all the way to Tokyo for university. Grandfather had been the only one who was less than thrilled, but then again who would be happy about their only living relative going so far away for so long? Genichiro remembers the way he had frowned at the acceptance letter — then outright cackled when he got to the part that stated he was going into accounting.

As he stares at the worksheet until all the numbers and words begin to blur together, Genichiro wonders if Grandfather was onto something.

The worksheet is due tomorrow morning in class. Genichiro has _not_ done well on his past assignments, and he knows he can’t afford to fuck this one up either. At the same time, he knows that no amount of staring or frantically flipping through his notes will somehow save him — he’s already tried. Genichiro groans and rubs his eyes, leaning away. Then he gets up and heads to his closet.

He deserves a break.

It’s the weekday, but he knows there are some parties going on around campus. Maybe the friends he’s been making would know where to find them. Genichiro reaches for his phone as he rummages through his clothes.

He’s settled on a black jacket and a pair of jeans when the doorknob rattles. Wolf slips in, meek and quiet as ever, and heads over to his side of the room without sparing him a glance. He’s wearing a restaurant uniform and reeks of cooking oil; Genichiro isn’t entirely sure how many jobs he has, but Wolf is rarely ever in the dorms and always seems to come back wearing a uniform Genichiro has never seen before. He isn’t sure if they’ve even spoken more than ten words to each other since they first met.

Still, Genichiro refuses to be the asshole in this relationship. “Welcome back,” he says. “Long shift?”

Wolf jumps and blinks owlishly at him, before mumbling something that sounds like an agreement.

“I’m heading to a party right now. Do you want to come?”

Wolf pauses, then shakes his head.

“I know I shouldn’t,” Genichiro continues, because he’s nothing if not insistent. “But my economics professor is a huge prick. The questions he gives us are ridiculous and unfair. I need a break from his bullshit.”

Wolf doesn’t say anything. That’s no surprise. Genichiro runs a comb through his hair a few times, then tosses it onto his bed. He turns to find Wolf staring at him, only to hastily look away.

“What? Is there something on my face?”

Wolf fidgets. “I can… help, if you’d like…”

Genichiro shrugs. “Sure. I’m warning you, though, this professor doesn’t fuck around.”

Wolf slinks over to his desk. He blinks at the worksheet, then looks at Genichiro with questioning eyes.

“See? I told you. He sucks.”

Wolf shakes his head. “I know how to answer these. Do you want me to show you?”

Genichiro gawks at him. He covers his mouth, and coughs. “Yeah, I— thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figured that if Wolf could be a sword prodigy in the game, he'd also be a prodigy in real life. At the very least, smarter than Genichiro (as usual).


	3. Chapter 3

Apparently, Wolf remembers how much he likes persimmons. Not that it stops Genichiro from feeling like the biggest idiot alive as he stares down at the persimmon pudding Wolf had bought for him, face burning and tongue useless in his mouth. Instead, he watches as Wolf feeds careful spoonfuls of tiramisu to the toddler, who somehow still manages to get crumbs and frosting all over his face. Genichiro doesn’t realize he’s staring until Wolf raises an eyebrow at him.

He flounders. “I— what’s his name?”

“Kuro,” Wolf says. “The kanji is written as ‘ninth son’. Not black.”

Despite the situation, Genichiro finds himself smiling. “Do people ask you that a lot?”

“Too much,” Wolf says, but he’s smiling too. Genichiro feels his heart skip a beat.

Kuro whines and reaches for the cake. Wolf gives him another mouthful, and dabs at his mouth with a napkin as he chews. When Genichiro finally nibbles at his pudding, he barely notices the taste; he can’t take his eyes off of Wolf. Watching him maneuver his son is like watching organized chaos in action, graceful and methodical in each of his movements. Wolf had always been so capable at everything he did; it shouldn’t be so surprising to see how good of a father he is, or the fact he is a father to begin with.

When Kuro forgoes the cake to sip at his boba, Wolf sets down the fork and turns his eyes back to Genichiro. “I didn’t expect to see you here,” he says, eyes bright with suspicion. Genichiro can’t blame him.

“Neither did I, but at least I live here,” he says quickly. “Genichiro _Ashina,_ remember?”

Wolf blinks. His eyes widen with genuine astonishment. “I… well, that would explain why this place sounded so familiar.”

Okay, the fact Wolf forgot his own surname does sting a little bit, but Genichiro is a grown man. He can live with it, especially given the way things had left off between them. “What brings you to Ashina?” He asks, praying that nothing seeps into his voice. “Vacation? Just passing through?”

“I moved here,” Wolf replies, and Genichiro almost chokes.

“Oh. _Oh._ That — that’s good. Ashina is a good place to raise a family. It might not be as, uh, cosmopolitan as Tokyo, but at least you won’t have to sell your soul to afford an apartment here.”

Wolf smiles lopsidedly. Kuro looks between them, curious, then beams at Genichiro.

“Hiiiii,” he says, opening and closing one little fist as if to wave. “My name is Kuro.”

“And mine is Genichiro.” He feels himself going all soft as Kuro slaps his hands over his mouth and giggles, wiggling back and forth bashfully. Of course Wolf would make such an adorable child.

“Cute kid. Who’s his mom?” When Wolf looks at him blankly, Genichiro adds, “Your wife?”

“Genichiro, I’m gay.”

Genichiro feels himself turning bright red. Right. _Right._ God, he just keeps digging a bigger hole for himself, doesn’t he? “Sorry about that. Your husband?”

Wolf gives him a long, long, _long_ look. “There is no husband,” he says slowly.

Too late, Genichiro finally looks down at Wolf’s hands, and only then does he sees the distinct lack of a ring on all of his fingers. Oh God. Did his husband walk out on him? Did they get a divorce? _Did his husband die?_

And then: when did Wolf start dating?

The math flies through his head. Kuro looks like he’s two, so if they factor in another year for the pregnancy or adoption process, then another year for the engagement period, and then at least two years of dating… Genichiro feels his face warm. Wolf would have found someone almost right after landing in America.

“Ashina is a good place,” Wolf says, pulling Genichiro from his thoughts. “Gorgeous landscapes, tight-knit community, full of history, and quiet. I just moved here this week, so I thought I should take Kuro to go see the castle. Unfortunately, it was only when we got into the city that I realized it was closed for maintenance, so then I figured we might as well take a look around. Imagine how dismayed I was when, on our very first outing, I thought we ran into a stalker.”

Genichiro winces. “Sorry about that. I really am. I just… needed to make sure it was you.”

A strange look comes over over Wolf’s face. He looks away, and wipes at Kuro’s mouth with his last napkin. The cake has been completely demolished by now, and the drink he had been nursing is almost gone. Suddenly Genichiro realizes that Wolf will be leaving soon.

His mouth opens before he can stop himself.

“I work for Ashina’s tourism department. I’m pretty much in charge of the entire castle and the national park it sits on. It’s closed to the public right now, but I still have full access to it. If you’d like, you could still visit the castle today. I’ll even be your personal tour guide.”

Wolf gives him another long look; even Kuro is staring at him. Just as Genichiro braces himself for a rejection, he smiles and rests his face on his hand.

“Okay,” he says.

* * *

“Okay,” Genichiro says, when Wolf asks him if he’ll be his roommate for the next year.

Why wouldn’t he? They get along well when it comes to living together, and as friends, there’s no one else in all of Tokyo that Genichiro would happily share a room with. And, if he had to be perfectly honestly, Wolf is the main reason he even scraped by their first year to begin with. He had patiently walked him through every worksheet, every chapter, every exam with a patience that a lesser man would envy. Genichiro is loathe to lose a resource like that, just as he’s excited to see through another year with his closest friend.

That being said, he’s surprised when Wolf brings him pictures of apartments instead of dormitory forms from the housing office. Nor is he thrilled by the… _quality_ of said apartments.

“I was looking online and at some ad listings,” Wolf says, shuffling through his pile. “What do you think?”

Genichiro is too polite to immediately shoot him down, so he sorts through the photos out of courtesy. Some of them have descriptions attached, and to his dismay, they’re just as bad as he feared. The rejection is building on his lips, the kind insistence to find something maybe a _little_ nicer — when his eyes fall on the rent.

Naturally, these piece-of-shit apartments are dirt cheap. That’s not what makes him swallow his words — it’s all the uniforms Wolf has hidden away in his closet. The late hours he works, the constant bags under his eyes, how everything he owns is so worn that Genichiro has had to disguise basic necessities as presents more than a few times. Wolf still hasn’t told him just how many jobs he’s working, all while going to school full-time for a major that Genichiro can barely wrap his head around. These apartments are probably all he can afford.

If nothing else, Genichiro doesn’t break promises to his friends.

They spend the next few days looking at apartments. Calls, and emails, and tours, until they finally sign the lease on a place thirty minutes away from the university by subway. It’s tiny, with two bedrooms the size of closets, a bathroom that Genichiro can barely stand in, and a kitchen that’s basically a stove and fridge shoved into a corner. But it’s clean and located in a decent neighborhood, and above all, Wolf will only have to work one job instead of whatever insanity he’s doing now.

It’s final exams after that, and Genichiro’s head is so full of number and equations that he doesn’t have the space for anything else. When it’s over, he’s just relieved he doesn’t have to repeat any classes. Wolf takes one look at him dragging his sorry ass back into their room, and drags him back out for dinner at a nearby ramen shop. “Don’t worry. This is my treat,” he says, when Genichiro reaches for his wallet.

“What are your plans for spring vacation?” Genichiro asks after swallowing down a greasy mouthful of noodles. “I’m gonna be heading back home. God, I need break.” He grins at Wolf. “You too, right? Where do you live?”

An awkward look comes over Wolf’s face. “I’m staying in Tokyo. I got the landlord’s permission to move in early.”

_“Really?”_

“Yes. I-I thought that I should get a head start on looking for jobs nearby. Please, don’t worry about me.”

There’s that plaintive tone in Wolf’s voice that always makes Genichiro feel guilty no matter the situation. “I guess,” he mumbles, leaning back in his chair. “Honestly though? You should take a break. Straight A’s, on top of helping me? I still don’t know how many jobs you worked.”

Wolf hides his smile behind his hand. “Thank you for your concern,” he says sincerely.

Wolf’s move-in date takes place after the date on his train ticket, so Genichiro leaves with him promising to make the apartment into a home. Grandfather is delighted to have him back in Ashina where he belongs, though he gives him a strange look when Genichiro swears up and down that his first year had gone well. And then Genichiro shows him a photo of his new apartment, and he outright despairs.

“You know I can afford a better place closer to the university,” he huffs.

Maybe so, but Wolf wouldn’t be able to afford it. Not that Genichiro is about to throw him under the bus for this. “So what? I chose it. It’s cheaper than the dorms, at least.”

The thing about being an Ashina is that neither side will back down when they make a decision, but at least Grandfather is, for lack of a better term, too old for this shit. He sighs and rolls his eyes. “You better not come back crying when you whack your head against the doorway,” he says, as if Genichiro hadn’t already down that thrice during the tour.

Before long, spring vacation is over. Genichiro is back on the train, the subway, and then he’s standing outside of his new home, duffel bag in one hand and key in the other. He makes sure to duck as he crosses the doorway. “I’m home!” He calls out by pure habit, then bites his lips. Is Wolf even in right now? Maybe he’s at work. He didn’t answer when Genichiro texted him that he was coming, so—

“Genichiro!” Wolf pokes his head around the corner, and beams. “You made it.”

He drags Genichiro to the living room, and makes him sit at the rickety table before hurrying back to the kitchen. There’s something boiling on the stove, the rice cooker is going, and a pan crackles as Wolf pokes at it with chopsticks. Genichiro stares at him for a moment, then looks around.

It hasn’t even been a full month, but Wolf’s presence is firmly entrenched. A calendar that looks like it had been fished out of the bargain bin hangs on the wall, and socks and underwear hang from a hamper hooked to the ceiling. A pile of textbooks are pushed against a corner. The door to his room is opened wide enough Genichiro can see a futon printed with faded pikachus. From the bathroom, he smells sakura — Wolf’s body wash or shampoo, he still hasn’t figured it out yet.

Wolf clicks off the stove and begins to grab plates. Genichiro stands so that he can help, but Wolf gives him such a pointed look that he sits back down. He sets down with rice, tonkatsu, and curry sauce liberally dribbled over it. “I got started on dinner as soon as I heard you were on the train,” he says. “Sorry I didn’t see your text. I was a little busy.”

Genichiro laughs. “A _little?_ ” He says, and Wolf grins.

“Welcome home.”


	4. Chapter 4

The city isn’t big enough to warrant a subway system, but the bus takes them up the mountain to the castle quickly enough. Genichiro can’t help the swell of pride in his chest when the full glory of Ashina Castle comes into view, and he hears Wolf gasp. It had been built in the Sengoku era by the clan’s founding patriarch, and despite the best efforts of the Date, Toyotomi, and Tokugawa clans, it still stands to this day as one of Ashina’s crowning relics. Back in university, he may have spent _just_ a little too much time bragging about it to Wolf, but to finally show it to him…

“Are you sure this is alright?” Wolf whispers they walk around the _DO NOT ENTER_ sign.

Genichiro grins. “It wasn’t that long ago when my family lived here. The only person who can tell me to leave my ancestral home is my grandfather, and he was badgering me earlier about checking on the repairs. Don’t worry, everything will be fine.”

Wolf smiles, then makes a face like he’s disappointed at himself for being so pleased. Kuro gasps as they step into the courtyard of the main gate, decorated with seasonal flowers and ornamental maples, and runs down the path with a shriek before Wolf can grab him. He turns to Genichiro with a deeply apologetic look, but relaxes when Genichiro laughs and shrugs.

It’s been years since he last did anything resembling a tour, but few others know the castle as well as he does. Genichiro guides Wolf through the inner courtyards, pointing out the many turrets and watchtowers lining the path, and takes them up up up through the castle keep. “Most keeps in Japan were built to be symbolic, built as a display of the daimyo’s strength and wealth,” he says, gesturing around vast rooms with tatami mat flooring. “So while the exterior may be enormous and stunning, the interiors were almost always bare and cramped. It was only during the early period of the Sengoku era when castle keeps were built to be actual living quarters, and Ashina Castle is one of them. It’s why we have so many floors and rooms.”

The castle is in pristine condition, but that doesn’t stop Genichiro from recounting the many dramatic battles that nearly bought it to its knees. Relics from all over Ashina, even some WWII weapons brought home by their soldiers, are enshrined within the castle as exhibits that Genichiro himself had researched and put together. Wolf listens attentively, and Genichiro caves a few times when Kuro asks to touch something. By the time they reach the top of the castle, the sun is beginning to set and Wolf has a faintly stunned look on his face.

“Last thing. I swear.” Genichiro ducks under the caution tape and pulls the doors open. Ever since the castle was turned into a museum, the uppermost floors had been converted into an observatory and served as one of its biggest draws. Of course, it’s closed off now thanks to that storm, but the broken glass has been swept away and plastic sheets laid over the bare frames. It’ll be fine as long as they’re careful.

Wolf’s eyes widen and Kuro lets out a soft _ooh_ as they step inside. “No better view in all of Ashina,” Genichiro says proudly, gesturing in a wide circle. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Wolf nods. His gaze pans across the sweeping view, from the city below them, to Mount Senpou in the distance, to the clouds spiraling eternal around the peak of the Fountainhead. When Kuro runs up to the glass and points at something in the mountains, bouncing up and down with excitement, Wolf crouches to his level and smiles so adoringly that Genichiro can’t look away. Their eyes are bright with wonder, the sun setting on their faces.

That dark, poisonous voice Genichiro thought he had put away years ago begins to hiss. _If only I had been good enough,_ it says.

Kuro whines. He stands on his tiptoes, then turns to Genichiro with his arms help up. Genichiro blinks at Wolf, who smiles at him and nods. He tucks his hands under Kuro’s arms, tests his weight, then cradles him to his shoulder as if holding spun glass. Kuro leans out of his grip, staring at something in the distance. He points at Moonview Tower with wide eyes.

“Do you want to see?” Genichiro asks, and Kuro covers his face as he giggles.

* * *

Technically Genichiro shouldn’t, not when he’s barely scraping by the skin of his teeth even with Wolf’s help, but he just needed _something_ that wasn’t related to his major. He had been the star of the kendo team back in high school, so when someone passed him a flyer of the kendo club between classes, it was only a matter of time. There was no way he could stay away from it.

Thankfully, Wolf is supportive. And in true Wolf fashion, he starts keeping track of his practices the same way he keeps track of his chapters, due dates, and exams. “What would you do without me?” Wolf has taken to asking, expression stern, before chuckling at Genichiro’s sheepish face.

It’s the truth, though. Wolf is the only reason that Genichiro has made it thisfar — the reason why he hasn’t gone back home in shame and a failure. What would he do without him?

It takes him far too long before he finally starts asking what he can do for Wolf.

One night, Wolf is waiting for him when he leaves the gym. He tosses a towel at him and sniffs, wrinkling his nose at the reek of sweat, and Genichiro playfully swipes at him with his practice sword. As Wolf passes over a bag of toiletries and clothes, he tells him to hurry, that he has to get to his part-time job soon, that Genichiro needs to prepare for his quiz coming up in two days.

Before he can put together a witty response, one of the club members call out to them. “Wolf?” He says. “Someone’s waiting for you outside. Says he’s your dad.”

Truth be told, Genichiro doesn’t know much about Wolf’s past. Not for lack of trying, he’d asked plenty of questions while they were still getting to know each other in the dorms, but Wolf had never given him anything substantial. Genichiro doesn’t know what town he came from, how many siblings he has, or why he never goes home. Often, he talks about leaving Japan, and when he does, Genichiro can’t shake the feeling that he’s trying to run from something.

A question he didn’t even know he had been asking is answered when Wolf goes white and asks them to describe the man. When they’re finished, he goes still, and falls to his knees, and curls into a tiny, shaking ball as he struggles for breath between clasped fingers.

Genichiro grabs his shoulders and shakes him, asking what’s wrong, and then a crowd is gathering so he pulls him into the locker rooms. It takes several minutes of rubbing his back before Wolf is able to choke out, “I want to go home.”

They sneak out the back while some of the club members run interference with Wolf’s _father._ Genichiro holds him close as they stumble to the subway station, as they spend thirty agonizing minutes waiting for their stop, as they hurry back to the apartment.

Genichiro pulls the door shut behind him, and pushes Wolf in the direction of the bathroom. “Get cleaned up,” he says. “I’ll get some food for us, and let your manager know you won’t be coming in today.”

As he watches Wolf stagger to the bathroom, pale and trembling and silent, a strange emotion rises in his throat. Whether it’s rage at seeing a close friend so shaken, or fear that someone as reliable and unflappable as Wolf is so disturbed, Genichiro can’t tell. He waits until he hears water running, and only then does he leave.

Wolf is a model employee, so his manager is more concerned than anything else when Genichiro explains the situation. He stops by Wolf’s favorite restaurant, a tonkatsu and tempura place, and gets the deluxe meat plate. On the way back, he splurges on boba and sweets. Grandfather will call the next morning to ask if he just hosted a party that night, but Genichiro has bigger things to worry about right now.

Wolf is sitting in the living room when he gets back. He’s not shaking anymore, but his eyes are red and puffy as they stare listlessly at the wall. Genichiro looks at him, and thinks of dark windows on an empty house.

He swallows down the white hot rage that surges from his stomach, and places the food in front of Wolf.

It’s somewhere around Wolf’s fifth mouthful that he begins to speak. He tells him a story — of a long, vicious, _evil_ tale of abuse at the hands of the people who were supposed to protect him. Rage gives way to disbelief to horror to numbness. All Genichiro can do is listen, and even then it’s almost too much.

By the end of it, Wolf is curled up in his arms, shaking and crying. Genichiro wants to cry too, but that won’t help either of them and Wolf needs him _now_ even though there’s nothing for him to say. He rubs his back, drawing circles between his shoulder blades. The scent of sakura is thick in his nose. When Wolf finally stops shaking, Genichiro falls still. And then Wolf sucks in a shuddering breath, and lifts his face, and kisses Genichiro deeply.

Genichiro freezes. Then he’s kissing back, melting into it, pulling Wolf closer, warm and trembling and beautiful in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so maybe that bit about Japanese castles in the middle was unnecessary, but I spent such a long time researching it that I'm not gonna let that nugget of knowledge go to waste. All of you get to learn with me. Tokugawa was a cheapskate.


	5. Chapter 5

They’re wandering around the silvergrass field when Genichiro’s phone buzzes. As Wolf carefully tells Kuro about the monument set up to commemorate the lives lost during the Siege of Suriagehara, Genichiro glances at his phone screen and grins. Ashina may not be Tokyo, but her cuisine is still unique in her own right. One of his favorite restaurants serves everything fresh and locally sourced from the surrounding farms — expensive, especially with the urgent delivery, but Wolf and his son is more than worth it.

“There’s something I need to take care of really fast,” he tells him. “It’ll only be a second. But will you come with me for a moment?”

Genichiro guides Wolf to the other side of the castle, past the moat full of lily pads and lotuses and curious koi keeping pace with them. He points out the castle gates, and says “Outside, you’ll find a sakura tree. Wait for me there, alright?”

Wolf gives him a curious look, but nods. Kuro does that open-close waving as they walk off, shouting, “Bye byyyye!”

When Genichiro returns with food in hand, he finds Wolf staring up into the tree, Kuro sitting on his shoulders. There are no blossoms during this time of the year, but the tree is dropping enough leaves to completely coat the ground in shades of orange and brown. Genichiro makes a mental note to bring it up with the gardener later as he approaches — then Wolf turns and smiles at him, and all thoughts of anyone else in the world are gone.

Wolf tries to protest as Genichiro lays out the food on a nearby bench — the deluxe yakitori platter, he remembers how carnivorous Wolf was during university — but falls quiet with a hopelessly fond expression when Genichiro offers Kuro a plate of gyoza. They crowd onto the bench and begin to eat. As Genichiro makes his way through a skewer of barbecued meat, he gestures to the plaque lying in front of the tree.

“This is the Everblossom memorial,” he says. “Back in the Sengoku era, it was said that visitors from the Divine Realm came to the castle and gave us a branch from their most holy tree. After nurturing it with the Rejuvenating Waters as a sapling, that tree was eternally in bloom. But at some point it ended up dying, and my ancestors replaced with another sakura tree. Now, this one may not be eternally blooming, but it’s stood here since the beginning of the Edo period. And during the spring, when it does bloom…”

Genichiro trails off. Words aren’t enough to describe such a spectacle, and it’s a disservice to even try. Wolf nods with a small smile.

They enjoy their meal in companionable silence, save for Kuro cooing between each mouthful. When Wolf’s eyes light up at the bite of seared treasure carp, a thrill goes up Genichiro’s spine. Watching him close his eyes and savor the flavor of his homeland is worth the entire world.

When they’ve finished, Wolf tilts his head and gives him a strange look. “I thought you were working at your grandfather’s company,” he says. “Not… this.”

Genichiro grimaces. His first impulse it to lie, but the words get tangled up in his throat. And then too much time has passed for him to be convincing, so there’s nothing left but the truth. “I lied,” he says. “It’s terrible, I know, I just— I was ashamed, back then. My grandfather had already chosen someone else to take over the company by the time I went back home.”

A dozen expressions flash across Wolf’s face. It settles on something cautious but open. “So then… you became a tour guide?”

“For a bit. When I first came back, I moped around for a couple of weeks, then I started working as a tour guide for the castle. Turns out, my passion for my home was actually a useful skill, so I took on more and more responsibilities until I was practically running the whole operation. And this was while I was still on my starting pay, mind you. Eventually, my grandfather caught wind of it all, and raised hell until the city gave me a fat pay raise and a new job title.”

Wolf laughs. It chokes off as he covers his mouth, a helpless smile spreading underneath his hand. “You were always very good at history,” he says.

“The only subject I didn’t need your help with,” Genichiro replies, smiling all cheeky. “And what about you? Did America treat you well?”

Wolf shrugs. “It made me rich. The master’s program was hard, but it landed me a job at a Fortune 500 company right out of the gate.” Genichiro widens his eyes when Wolf relays the name. “They worked me to the bone, but it was very fulfilling work and everyone was wonderfully kind. And most importantly, I’ll never have to worry about money again. As long as I make some smart investments and live modestly, neither will Kuro.”

Genichiro nods. Silence falls again. Kuro reaches into Wolf’s plate to lift one of his fries; Wolf watches as he nibbles on it.

“Why did you lie?” He asks, so quiet that Genichiro almost misses it over the rustle of falling leaves.

_Because I didn’t want to hold you back._ “Because I was lying from the very beginning,” he says, and nearly punches himself when Wolf gives him a wide, wounded look. “ _No._ No. That’s not what I meant. I mean— I made a mistake going to college for the reasons I did. I tried to force myself to be something I wasn’t, and ended up wasting four years of my life. Yes, it gave me valuable skills to help me do my job now, but… I never should have left Ashina, if that makes sense.”

“Oh.” Wolf looks away. “I see.”

The expression on Wolf’s face is terribly conflicted. Genichiro resists the urge to reach out and settle his palm over his hand — they aren’t close like that anymore, and the thought of Wolf yanking his hand away, eyes full of accusations, is too much to bear. This time, when silence settles between them, it is fraught with something Genichiro doesn’t know how to name. Genichiro can’t take his eyes off Wolf, nor can he push away the question he’s wanted so badly to ask ever since they left the cafe.

_Who is he?_

He won’t lie, it had hurt discovering that Wolf had found someone, and so quickly after leaving Japan — after leaving _him_ — but it’s no surprise, either.Wolf is the most capable, brilliant man that Genichiro has ever met, and handsome as well. Sure, being gay may have narrowed his prospects somewhat, but America had since legalized gay marriage by the time he left for his new life. It’s no wonder that he got married and started a family there, especially given the way things had ended between them.

Still, Genichiro wants to know.

“Daddy.” Kuro tugs on Wolf’s sleeve, rubbing at his eyes. “I’m tired. I wanna go home.”

They both look up. The sun is setting in earnest now, coloring the sky in brilliant reds and oranges. Wolf glances at the clock on his phone, and frowns. “I’m sorry,” he says as he stands up. “We need to start heading back. Do you know which bus to take?”

When Wolf tells him his street address, Genichiro winces.

“None of the buses that service the castle go directly there. You’d have to take a few connecting stops, then walk the rest of the way. It’ll only take an hour if you’re lucky with traffic, but otherwise…” An idea comes to him. Brazen, but it beats dealing with public transport for nearly two hours, or shelling out for an Uber. “My home is halfway down the mountain. I have a car, so I can drive you back.”

Wolf blinks at him. Hastily, Genichiro adds, “If you want.”

In the long silence that falls, Genichiro braces himself for an awkward rejection. Then Wolf sighs and his face softens, and he nods. “Yes. Yes, I’d like that. Thank you, Genichiro.”

* * *

As it happens, being the only heir of an ancient, wealthy daimyo clan means that Genichiro has never wanted for attention. There were the daughters of other clans and Grandfather’s business partners, and his classmates throughout junior high and high school had always been eager to praise him. In university, there are his peers, and the occasional one night stands, and the few dates that never seemed to go anywhere

Now, there is Wolf.

Everything is different with Wolf.

Every morning, Genichiro wakes up with him in his arms, blinking drowsy, warm, fond eyes as he smiles in the dawning light. Mornings consist of playfully nudging the other away from the sink as they wash their faces, and Wolf jabbing at him with chopsticks whenever Genichiro wanders too close to their lunches. He wraps his arms around Wolf’s waist and hold him close as they endure the Tokyo rush hour. At the university, they got their separate ways, but never for long: they always seek each other out whenever there’s a lull between classes, whether it’s just seeing each other in passing or sneaking away to somewhere quiet for lunch.

Wolf always meets him at his kendo practices, to the point where other club members joke about adopting him as their mascot. Genichiro always walks him to his part-time job, to the point where he’s on first name basis with the owners and managers. When they renew their lease on the apartment, the landlady gives them such a long, knowing look that Genichiro actually blushes and Wolf hides his face behind his shoulder. They get a lot of knowing looks these days, especially from their friend group, but no one says anything even though Genichiro would happily and emphatically confirm everything.

It’s not like he’s unfamiliar with love; he’s had his fair share of flings during high school and college. But with Wolf, it’s like — like finding a clear river when he didn’t even know he was dying of thirst. When he pulls Wolf into his arms, the world slows down and begins to make sense, and when Wolf smiles at him and leans into his hold, Genichiro gets the strangest sense of finding that missing piece. He can’t get enough of him, whether it’s hearing his voice or pulling him to pieces in their bed. Genichiro knows, theoretically, what love is supposed to be, but he never imagined it would be anything like this.

With Wolf, Genichiro can see the future unfolding in front of him.

With Wolf, Genichiro is suddenly, keenly, painfully aware of how _he’s not good enough._

Wolf is brilliant. His professors adore him, and it isn’t long before he trades out his part-time jobs for high-flying internships. And then there is Genichiro, still struggling with his classes and dependent on Wolf’s intelligence and patience. Compared to Wolf, he’s _nothing_ — just another rich boy who only got this far because everyone who helped him was better than him in every way. It’s easy enough ignoring that voice at first, that dark little thing at the back of his head _hissing,_ especially when Wolf soothes him through his many failures and builds him up with his scant successes.

But one day, Wolf tells him, off-handedly. “I’m thinking of going to America for a master’s degree,” and it is no longer something that Genichiro can ignore.


	6. Chapter 6

The Ashina clan moved out of the castle shortly after the war, as a result of it falling into disrepair due to the war effort and the fact it was cheaper to just build a new home rather than repairing an entire castle. Of course, thanks to government funding, it has since been restored to its former glory. Genichiro remembers growing up in its shadow, in the home his great-grandparents had built halfway down the mountain from it. That is where Genichiro asks the bus driver to stop, and guides Wolf across the road towards the driveway hidden among the trees.

Kuro is tucked up against Wolf’s shoulder, blinking slow and sleepy. The mansion, traditional and austere, looms out from behind the trees. Wolf lets out a low whistle as Genichiro punches in the code for the gate and pulls him through.

“I knew you were a rich boy,” he says with a wry grin. “But I didn’t think you were this kind of old money.”

Genichiro resists the urge to downplay that claim. It’s true, and he knows Wolf well enough that it would be a slap to the face if he tried to deny it. Instead, he shrugs and smiles sheepishly, and asks him to wait at the front door as he slips inside. The keys should still be on the counter in the kitchen—

“Genichiro?” Grandfather pokes his head out of the living room. “You’re home early. And — did you go to work dressed like _that?”_

Belatedly, Genichiro realizes that he’s still wearing his jogging outfit. “I had a day off,” he says, just as Grandfather’s face turns absolutely thunderous. “They closed the castle for maintenance, remember? The storm damaged the observatory.” As his face clears, Genichiro adds, “Anyways, I ran into a friend, and I’m going to drive them back to their place. I’ll be back—“

“You brought a friend to the house, and you’re not even going to invite them in?” For such an frail old man, Grandfather really knows how to make his face look like storm clouds. “Didn’t I raise you better, boy?”

And that’s how Genichiro finds himself sheepishly introducing Wolf and Kuro to Grandfather, who squints at Wolf as he bows low and thanks him for his hospitality. When he comes back up, Grandfather offers him a smile. “Yes, I remember you. We met at the graduation ceremony. You’re that boy my grandson wouldn’t shut up about. I really have to thank you — this foolish boy became a fine man because of you.”

Both Wolf and Genichiro sputter. Grandfather grins, then raises an eyebrow at Genichiro. “Well? Aren’t you going to make tea for our guests?”

He scuttles off. The last thing he hears is Grandfather insisting that Wolf sit with him and let Kuro get some rest, before the door closes behind him and he’s rattling around the kitchen for the good tea. But even as the red takes its time fading from his cheeks, he is — _relieved._ The fact that Grandfather approves so strongly of Wolf…

He can hear the buzz of conversation through the walls as he prepares the tea and digs out snacks. But when he enters the living room, balancing tea and a place of butter cookies in both hands, silence falls instantly. There is Kuro passed out with his head on Wolf’s lap, Grandfather grinning wide like the tomcat that caught the sparrow, and Wolf looking shockingly red in the cheeks.

“What were you talking about?” Genichiro asks as he passes out tea.

Grandfather’s smile somehow gets even wider. “You,” he says, and laughs when Genichiro fumbles the cookies.

It’s nearly night by the time Grandfather finally lets them go. Kuro rubs his eyes and mumbles as Wolf lays him out across the backseat of the car, but stays asleep. Wolf rests his head on his lap and buckles in. In the rearview mirror, their eyes meet for just a moment — then Genichiro starts up the car, and they’re off.

The drive is quiet. It’s been a very long day, but there’s a distant, contemplative look on Wolf’s face. Genichiro wonders what on earth Grandfather had said to him — that old bastard has always been too nosy for his own good. When they idle at a red light in the city, he asks, “So what were you two talking about?”

Wolf turns dark, quiet eyes towards him. “Your grandfather is very sharp,” he says.

* * *

Genichiro is in class, sitting through a mind-numbing lecture on macroeconomics, when his phone buzzes. He pulls it out of his pocket and glances at the screen, and then his heart skips a beat. A screenshot from Wolf. _Congratulations,_ it says, in English.

_We are pleased to announce your acceptance into the program,_ it says.

That evening, they head out with friends to celebrate. The valedictorian of their year, destined for America. They both drink more alcohol than they should, and stumble home where they fuck like rabbits. It’s good that tomorrow is a weekend, because by the time they collapse onto the futon, breathless and sweaty, Genichiro can see the night sky giving way to a faint shade of blue.

“I can’t believe it,” Wolf breathes, still giddy. “This is really happening. I’m going to America.”

He hums as he presses himself closer to Genichiro, the scent of sakura in his hair. Wolf is usually so reserved and closed off even with him that just watching him smile as he draws circles over Genichiro’s chest is a gift of its own. Genichiro resists the urge to kiss him and ruin the moment.

“What about you?” Wolf whispers. “What are you going to do?”

This is their last year. The graduation ceremony is only a few months away, looming so heavy over them — over _him_. Genichiro may be a fool, but even he knows by now that he’s not cut out to be a businessman. These past four years have been nothing but a mistake.

Then Wolf squirms in his arms, leaning up to kiss his chin, looking at him with so much love and adoration that Genichiro has no choice but to walk back on that. Wolf will never be a mistake. Wolf is the best thing that ever happened to him.

Wolf deserves better than him.

Genichiro stares down at him, and a strange calm sweeps over him as he accepts that he’ll never be good enough for the man he loves.

“I’m going home,” he says. “M grandfather’s company needs a successor, so I’ll have to begin training as soon as possible.”

A strange look flashes across Wolf’s face. “Oh,” he says, lowering his gaze.

The rest of the semester goes by in a blur. Between his classes and internships, the emails and phone calls with immigration and his new university, Wolf doesn’t have a lot of time to spare, but they still try to make every moment count. They linger in bed in the mornings, and search for quiet places in the university so they can eat lunch side by side. Sometimes, Wolf catches him staring, and sometimes, Genichiro catches him with his face all twisted up like he wants to ask something.

He never does. Graduation comes, and Genichiro watches with his heart in his throat as Wolf gives his speech as the valedictorian of their graduating class. He finally introduces him to his grandfather, who sizes Wolf up with a critical look before firmly shaking his hand. Genichiro doesn’t go straight home to Ashina — they still need to clean out their apartment, and he promised to see Wolf off at the airport.

It’s surreal putting all of their belongings into boxes. This cramped hole is now so empty it makes his skin crawl. On the last day, they sleep on the bare tatami, no futon beneath them or sheets wrapped around them, nothing but each other’s arms to keep them warm through the night.

The next day, at the airport, Genichiro promises that he’ll call and text everyday. He kisses Wolf for the last time, and stares after him until he can no longer make him out through the crowds. Genichiro makes his way to the trains, emptier than he’s ever been before.

When he makes it back to Ashina, when Grandfather welcomes him home with a shake of his head and a more sympathetic smile than Genichiro had dared hope for, when he goes up to his room and wonders what he’s going to do _now,_ his phone lights up with a text. _I landed,_ it says. _I miss you already,_ Wolf says.

Genichiro stares at it. Then he swallows hard, and sets the phone aside, and tells himself that it’s for the best.


	7. Chapter 7

Wolf’s home is nestled in the heart of a quiet neighborhood, lined with trees and flower shrubs and colorful chalk drawings all over the sidewalks. The elementary school is only fifteen minutes away, and there’s a park right around the corner. When he pulls up outside, Genichiro can make out stickers slapped onto a window in the upper floor.

“Please come in,” Wolf says, Kuro in his arms. There’s a strange tightness to his voice, and Genichiro finds that he can’t say no.

The interior is both cluttered and sparse. There are boxes everywhere, but not yet enough furniture to fill up all the empty spaces. Genichiro tiptoes between stuffed animals, races cars, and Legos scattered all over the floor. Something inside of him unwinds at the sight of stick figures scrawled in crayons on a wall, surrounded by pink flowers and watched over by an orange sun.

Wolf heads upstairs to put Kuro to bed. Genichiro wanders into the kitchen, and settles in one of the only two chairs available. Wolf comes back down soon enough, and doesn’t look at Genichiro as he walks straight towards the kettle on the counter. He fills it, flicks the button, and leans away as it begins to boil. He looks at Genichiro, and Genichiro wonders what he sees.

“Why did you never return my texts?” Wolf asks.

_I wasn’t good enough for you. I couldn’t hold you back. I was ashamed, and being around you made me realize how inadequate I was._ “I thought it was for the best.” Genichiro says quietly.

Wolf’s face twists. Genichiro feels his heart clench painfully in his chest.

“I knew that if I went to America,” Wolf says, voice tight. “Our relationship might not have survived. But I didn’t — I didn’t _think_ that you, of all people, would just push me away.”

Wolf breaths out, slow and trembling. His eyes rove over Genichiro’s face, and whatever he finds must not be good, because Genichiro can see something inside of him crumple.

“I loved you,” Wolf says.

There we go. _Loved._ Now, Wolf _loves_ someone else — the person he was supposed to have a family with. Genichiro wonders who that man is, and where he is now. He can’t tell if he wants to punch him in the face, or congratulate him for being so lucky, or beg him to go away and never come back.

“I’m sorry. I love you, too.”

Wolf flinches. “Then why?”

Genichiro should leave. This has gone on for long enough — they aren’t students anymore, young enough to make mistakes and hurt the people they love without looking back. Wolf finally has a real family, and Genichiro is finally making something of himself. And he knows, just as he knows that a piece of him will always belong to Wolf, that he can put an end to everything that happened between them and anything that could’ve been if he leaves right now. It would be a mercy to them both.

Instead, Genichiro says, “Because I wasn’t good enough.”

Only four words are enough to leave him feeling like an exposed nerve. Wolf stares from where he’s curled up against the counter, arms wrapped around himself as if he’s been left out in the cold for too long. The words, old and dusty and _aching_ , crawl out of all the dark corners he’d shoved them into. “Do you know how amazing you are? You were going to America and I just — I couldn’t hold you back. And I made the right choice,” he says, when Wolf recoils and opens his mouth. “You got away from your father. You’ll never have to work another day in your life. And you found love. You found someone who made you so happy that you started a family with them.”

Wolf makes a wounded noise. The moment hangs between them like a string pulled taut — and then he’s crossing the kitchen, grabbing his face hard enough to hurts, and Genichiro stiffens as he presses his lips against him. Then he melts and presses back, and there is the strangest sensation of coming home.

When Wolf pulls away, Genichiro fights back the need to chase after him. “I don’t understand,” he whispers. “What about your husband?”

Wolf looks at him like he’s the biggest, most beautiful idiot in the world. “There is no husband. There never was. You’re the only person I ever loved.”

“What? But— Kuro—“ Genichiro falls silent as Wolf curls against his chest, tucking his face into his throat. “His parents died in an accident. I was his closest next of kin. I got the call from his social worker while I was up late one night working on a project, but it wasn’t to ask me to be his guardian. They already knew I was in America. What they wanted to know was whether my father would be a suitable foster parent.”

“Oh.”

“I couldn’t let him ruin another boy’s life,” Wolf continues. “I was honest with them about the kind of person he was, but I still needed to make sure. And so I flew back to Japan that same week to get everything sorted out, and…” Wolf breathes against his neck, wet and thick and shaky. “When I first met Kuro, he was still just a baby. It had been two weeks since the accident, and he didn’t understand why his mother wasn’t holding him. I walked in to find him sobbing, but as soon as I picked him up, he fell quiet and wrapped his arms around me. At that point, it wasn’t just about keeping him safe anymore. I _wanted_ him. I wanted to be his father.”

Genichiro realizes that he’s been drawing slow, lazy circles over his back. “And so you came back to Japan,” he says, drawing them wider and deeper.

“Of course.” He feels Wolf smile against his neck. “I thought it would be better for him to grow up in Japan instead of a foreign country. I quit my job and moved all of my assets overseas, and I chose Ashina because it was a good place to raise children, and far enough from my father that he wouldn’t be able to interfere.” He sits up, smiling so fond and adoring that everything inside of Genichiro _hurts._ “So do you understand now? There’s only ever been you, Genichiro.”

_There’s only ever been you._

_I love you._

Genichiro feels like he can’t breathe. Like his heart has crawled up into his throat and blocked it off, hammering away. Wolf is in his arms, content and warm against his chest, close enough that Genichiro can breathe in that achingly familiar scent of sakura. It’s been so long since he held him like this that he never wants to let go. Genichiro tightens his arms and buries his face into his hair.

“Fuck,” he says.

Wolf smiles against his throat. “Fuck,” he agrees.

_”Fuck!”_

Wolf shoots up from his lap as Genichiro very nearly falls out of the chair. Kuro toddles into the kitchen, grinning wide even with the imprint of blanket wrinkles against his cheeks. He walks right up to Genichiro with his arms raised high, and Genichiro laughs as he scoops him up. Wolf gathers him into his arms, and kisses his cheek.

“Fuck,” Kuro says again, muffled by Wolf’s shoulder. Wolf looks past his messy hair at Genichiro, eyes shining.

Genichiro gets to his feet, and wraps his arms around them both, and holds them tight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wolf and Genichiro start dating again, Kuro gets two whole dads, Grandpa gets a cute great-grandchild, and they spend the rest of their lives being disgustingly in love. The End!


End file.
